An Israeli citizen who immigrated from Iran in 1999 has been indicted for allegedly spying for Tehran, including passing sensitive military information and drone flight routes to an Iranian agent, officials said Sunday.
The man, whose name remains under a gag order, was arrested earlier this month. Prosecutors have asked the Central District Court in Lod to keep him in custody until the end of legal proceedings.
The indictment accuses him of contact with a foreign agent and providing information to an enemy with intent to harm national security—an offense that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
According to the indictment, the suspect maintained a romantic relationship with an Iranian citizen who remained in Iran. In 2024, the two met in Turkey and were joined by two Iranian government operatives. The accused allegedly knew they were hostile to Israel and later communicated with an Iranian agent via Telegram on several occasions.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Prosecutors say the man knowingly engaged with a foreign agent and transmitted classified information intended to damage Israel’s security. He is accused of revealing the identity of an Iranian sailor aboard an oil tanker who allegedly aided Israel, sharing Israeli military strike intentions and commando operations, providing drone flight paths from Azerbaijan into Iran, and confirming that a key Israeli Air Force base at Nevatim was hit during Iran’s missile barrage in April of last year.
2 View gallery
Aftermath of Iranian missile strike on Israeli Air Force base at Nevatim
(Photo: IDF)
The case was investigated by the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 serious and international crimes unit, in coordination with the Shin Bet internal security service and the IDF's Military Police Criminal Investigation Division. Prosecutors emphasized the heightened danger posed by the suspect’s alleged actions amid Israel’s ongoing war on multiple fronts, particularly with Iran.
The indictment comes on the heels of two other recently exposed espionage cases. Last month, a soldier was charged with passing information to Iranian operatives for money, and a teacher from the Bedouin community in southern Israel was indicted for photographing Israeli Air Force takeoffs. Investigations revealed that the soldier knowingly communicated with Iranian elements and performed tasks on their behalf, including filming missile interceptions and impact sites.